Donald Trump is suddenly sounding like a general-election candidate

Donald
Trump speaks during a news conference at his Trump National Golf
Club in Jupiter, Florida, on March 8.REUTERS/Joe Skipper

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump is starting to
sound a bit more presidential.

At a Tuesday-night press conference celebrating two additional
primary wins, Trump said he'd help other Republican candidates,
mentioned a conversation he'd had with House Speaker Paul Ryan,
discouraged the crowd from booing Mitt Romney, and talked about
beating Hillary Clinton in the general election.

Trump won the GOP primaries in Michigan and Mississippi early in
the evening, paving his path to the nomination unless his rivals
can significantly shake up the race.

Idaho and Hawaii had not yet started voting when Trump went on
stage to speak. He later appeared headed to a loss in Idaho.

Trump started off his speech by indicating his interest in
boosting down-ballot candidates this November.

"It's very, very important as a Republican that our senators and
that our congressmen get reelected and that we get a good group
of people together, that we keep the people that are there,"
Trump said. "We have some terrific people. Not all of them are on
my side, but we have some terrific people."

He then touted the turnout at the polls and his crossover appeal.
This was a potential message to Washington Republicans, who have
long worried that a Trump nomination could hurt their chances of
holding on to the Senate.

"We have Democrats coming over, we have independents coming over,
and they haven't done that ever, probably ever," Trump said. "And
with all these people coming over we're going to have something
very, very special."

Donald Trump arrives for a
press conference at the Trump National Golf Club Jupiter on March
8, 2016 in Jupiter, Florida.Joe
Raedle/Getty Images

Trump also assured people that he could beat Clinton in a general
election.

"If I get to go against Hillary, polls are showing that I beat
her, and some of the polls have my beating her very easily,"
Trump said. "We will take many, many people away from the
Democrats and we'll take many people away that normally go
Democrat as independents."

In a sharp pivot, Trump further sounded conciliatory toward Ryan.
Just seven days ago, at another postelection press conference,
Trump had warned that Ryan
would need to be careful toward him or "pay a big price."

"I want to thank Paul Ryan," the frontrunner said on Tuesday. "He
called me a couple of days ago. He could not have been nicer. He
was very encouraging, and I have great respect for Paul Ryan."

When Romney came up as a press-conference topic, Trump shrugged
off Romney's furious attacks against his campaign. This was
another pivot for Trump: He had been returning fire against
Romney for days, calling the 2012 GOP presidential nominee a
"failed" candidate who was jealous of Trump's success.

"Mitt Romney got up and made a speech the other day," Trump said
on Tuesday as some in the crowd booed.

"No, no. He's a very nice man," Trump said to laughter. "I
understand. Look, it's hard, when you go through this and then
you get to the final gate and you don't get over it. It's a hard
thing. So I understand."